PROCEEDINGS 343 



Tertiary. He did, however, recognize a sub-speciation centre in the 

 region of the Kermadec Islands. It interpreted the known taxonomic 

 and zoo-geographical facts. Factors regulating the ebb and flow of 

 species movement were analyzed. Faunal elements in the Indo-Pacific 

 region were presented with enumeration of bird species with their 

 habitat and migration. The paper was illustrated with three maps. 

 Dr. Murphy referred to this paper as an admirable review in which the 

 author reached a series of conclusions in harmony with the known geo- 

 logical history and without resource to hypothetical land gaps or land 

 bridsfes. Discussion follows: 



Dr. Murphy: Dr. Serventy's study is more admirable than that review 

 it indicates. He found the breeding grounds of the sea bird spe- 

 cies not familiar to the audience. He built up a series of conclu- 

 sions which then coincides and harmonizes with the groups of sea 

 birds and the geological history. He needed no land gaps and land 

 bridges. 

 Mr. Tube: I would like to ask about the flying habits of the frigate 

 birds. I have observed those that circle up to the point of invi- 

 sibility and, when very high, cross the country where they roost. 

 Boobies are also seen from land when nesting. They fly direct to 

 waters near the nest. 

 Dr. Serventy: I am glad to know that frigate birds cross land and that 

 they fly far from roosting islands. I have not seen this in the lite- 

 rature. 

 Dr. Hardenberg: I wish to confirm the statement of Mr. Tubb con- 

 cerning the flying habits of the frigate birds. 

 Dr. Wooster: When we were opposite Cape Monticino, a bird stayed 

 on our ship for three hours when we were about 1,500 miles from 

 land. I would like to know if petrels form colonies. 

 Dr. Serventy: There are big scale conditions where petrels form co- 

 lonies, that is, from South America to California. There in a ran- 

 dom collection of birds we could recognize the New Zealand birds, 

 and other sea birds were presented. There is no evidence, how- 

 ever, of migration of sea birds in historic times. 



Dr. E. Yale Dawson's paper, "Some Distribution Patterns Repre- 

 sented by the Marine Algae of Nhatrang Bay, Vietnam", was read by 

 Dr. Maxwell S. Doty. It presented a brief picture of the present knowl- 

 edge of the marine algal flora of Indo-China. Results of the algal 

 study undertaken by the author on the distribution of the different 

 species and their occurrence were presented. 7~he paper also presented 

 two generalities on marine algae of the Indo-Pacific; namely, the out- 

 standing deficiency of information about algae not only of the South 



